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No. 6|2,|07. Patented Oct. Il, |898.

J. F. HUTCHENS. Y

BAG FASTENER.

(Application led Apr. 12, 1897.)

(No Model.)

UNITEDV STATE-s lPATENT OFFICE.

JOI-IN F. I-IUT'CIIENS, OF PIONEER, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF TI-IREE-FIFTHS TO IVILSON IIUTCI'IENS ANI) ISAAC C. IIUTOHENS, OF SAME PLACE.

BAG-FAsTx-:NER-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent o. 612,107, dated October 11, 1898.

Application tiled April 12, 1897. Serial No. 681,779. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. HUTcHENs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pioneer, in the county of Barry and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Bag- Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

. This invention relates to certain improvements in fasteners-such as are especially adapted for closing bags or sacks containing iiour, meal, and the likeand the object of the invention is to provide a device of this character of a simple and inexpensive nature which shall be adapted for convenient application to the mouth of the bag and which shall hold the same securely closed when'applied thereto.

In another application filed by me on September 6, 1897, Serial No. 651,887, I have disclosed bag-fasteners of various types embodying the generic features of the invention, residing in the combination, with a bag or sack, of a fastener separate from or unattached to said bag and comprising a pliable continuously-barbed wire`or rod laid across the mouth of the bag or sack and rolled therewith, the ends of said pliable rod or wire being bent or turned at an angle to those parts of the bag and the wire which are rolled together.

The invention of the present application, While it embraces the rod or wire fastener rolled with the mouth portion of the bag, is restricted to the peculiar twisting, as distinguished from an inward bending of the Wire or rod with a portion of the bag fabric, such twisting of the fastener-rod forming a looped port-ion which extends inward and upward and with a portion of the fabric twisted therewith to attain security at the ends of the rolled portion of the bag fabric.

In order that my improvements may be the better understood, I have'shown in the accompanying drawings a bag-fastener con-- structed according to my invention, in which drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a bag or sack provided with a fastener constructed according to my invention; and Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. l, but showing the fastening device before the ends thereof are bent. Fig. 3 is a view showing the wire or strip of which the fastener is preferably formed. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but illustrating a modified form of the fastener.

In the views, l indicates the metal wire or strip of which the fastener is formed, and 2 represents the bag or sack, the mouth of which is to be closed and fastened by means of my fastener. As shown clearly in Fig. 3, the metal wire or strip l is provided at intervals along its surfaces with projecting -barbs or sharpened prongs 3, struck up from it and adapted to engage the material of which the bag 2 is formed.

In fastening the bag or sack 2 by means of the improved fastener the met-al wire or strip l is arranged along one side of the bag, at the mouth thereof, the two sides of the bag being stretched tightly at said mouth, so as to lie iiat against each other, and when the metal strip or wire l is arranged along the side of the bag at said mouth it will be evident that the prongs or barbs 3 will engage the material of which said sides are formed in order to hold the sides of the bag or sack. The sides of the bag will then be rolled upon the fastener l, as shown clearly at 4 in Fig. 2,

`this rolling of the sides of the bag, at the mouth thereof, upon the metal Wire or strip being continued until the roll4 comes to be directlyT at the top of the material in the bag, so as to take up all undue looseness at the mouth of the bag. When the roll 4 is in this position, its end portions 5 5, wherein are held the end portions of themetal wire or strip l, will project beyond the opposite sides of the body portion 2 of the bag, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and in order to secure the fastenerin place and also to prevent the unrolling of the rolledup portion 4 of the mouth of the bag I bend or twist the said projecting ends 5 upon themselves, so that the extremities G of the rolledup portion 4 of the bag will extend at angles to the main central portion of the said rolledup part, as is clearly shown in Fig. l. As will be observed by reference to Fig. l, each end of the pliable fastener-wire is twisted by bending the same inwardly, then upwardly, and then outwardly, and during this twisting of the ends of the fastener the fabric of the bag is twisted or intertwined with said twisted IOO ends of the fastener, so that the fastener not only holds itself in position, but so securely closes the fabric of the bag that it cannot be opened accidentally to allow of the escape and waste of the contents of said bag. This bending or twisting of the end portions of the rolled-up part of the bag serves to prevent said part from being unrolled and also serves to hold the fastener securely in place and prevent it from being disengaged from the sides of the bag, which are rolled upon it, and it will be seen that the metal wire or strip will have sufficient rigidity to prevent its bent or twisted end portions from becoming accidentally twisted, so that the mouth of the bag would be released.

When it is desired to open the bag, it is only necessary to untwist or bend the twisted end portions of the rolled-up part of the mouth of the bag, whereupon the said rolled-u p part may be unrolled and the wire or strip l removed from engagement with the sides of the bag. When the bag is closed, the prongs or barbs 3 upon the strip or wire l will serve to prevent the unrolling of the central portion of the rolled-up part of the mouth of the bag.

In the modified form of the device shown in Fig. 4L the construction is exactly similar to that above described, with the exception that the end portions 7 of the wire or strip are bent at angles to the main central portion thereof, so that said bent end portions may be employed for turning the fastener in order to roll the mouth portion of the bag upon the same, the bent endA portions of the Wire or strip being held in the fingers and used somewhat after the fashion of cranks.

From the above description it will be seen that the improved fastener is of an extremely simple and inexpensive nature and is especially Well adapted for the purposes for which it is designed, since it permits the bags or sacks to be securely closed and in a much more rapid and convenient manner than is possible by means of sewing the mouth of the bag in the ordinary way, and itwill also be obvious from the above description that the improved fastener is capable of some modification without material departure from its principles and spirit, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form and arrangement of Ithe fastener herein set forth.

No claim is herein made, broadly, to a bag having its mouth portion rolled upon itself and with a fastener, the ends of said fastener having bent or doubled upon itself and folded with the rolled mouth of the bag to afford a practically permanent closure therefor, because invention forms the subject-matter of a separate application filed by me on September ie, 1897, serial No. 651,887.

Having thus described the invention, I claim- In a bag-fastener, the combination with a bag, of a fastener rolled with the mouth portion of the bag and having the ends of said fastener twisted upon itself and with a portion of the bag fabric in an inward and upward direction, substantially as described.

In testimony that I.claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN F. HUTCHENS.

IVitnesses:

L. L. ALLEN, WM. A. RHEA. 

